NOTES AND COMMENTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 273, 7 August 1918, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS

fBY QIENOOE.-! Acceptances ami final payments for tho Grand National Hurdles, National Steeplechase, and Winter Cup cloeo on, Monday next. Yellow nntl Black, who is now one oi lho prime fanoiee for the National (Steeplechase, like many other good, jumpers, graduated in tho hunting field. Originally he raced in tho colours of Miss N. Armstrong, who regularly l'otlo liim to hounds. Sfcllow and Black was at ono tiino trained by J. Cameron for Wβ lady owner, but when the war broke out Mies Armstrong retired from racing, and her father, the popular Akitjo sportsman, leased tho All Mack seldinK from her. A featuro of "The New Zealander," the , soldiers' paper published for circulation in the trenches, is its sportins news. Lettors from the front frequently testify to liow much the, Now Zcalandera appreciate this, and it is Quite clear that the boys who ore doiiiß tho fighting still retain their love for the sport. It must be admitted'that the field to contest the National Steeplechase next week IB well up to the standard of proviouß years. It contains two previous winners of tho race in Master Strowan and Waimai, Crib, winner of a- Wellington etoeplechaso and a place-getter in laet year's National; Coalition and St. Elmn, both Winter Steeplechase -winners; and Collector and Yellow and Black, both good winners. Under the circometancea those who attend to witness tho racing can expect, a very high-class contest. ■ That great horse The Tetrach. who did such wonders during his very short career ' ore tho English, Turf, is nroviHK a great puccees at tho stud. TJp to the time the last mail left England the crey champion had been represented by six two-year-olds, five of whom -were winners. Says a writer in tho, Sydney "Mail" : — Ono time it waa thought a waste of onenry to try and school a Musket over liurdles, a3 they were too awkward and stodity. hut the breed has outlived that disability, for among tho best jumnine horses we have are many descendants of Musket. Shoddy, by Trenton, eon of Jtnsket, was the first to iwin the National Hurdle Race for tho To.tophilite line, and tho nest was Lady Quiz, by Inqnisitor, pon of Trenton; then came Arquebuse. by Pistol, son of Carbine; and the last is Narahquon;, . i At Biccarton on Saturday Sleight-of-Hand. Sir Solo, and Reformation were companions in a boat over four flights of

hurdles. Tho pace was on all the way, nnd the juniphiß norfoct until the last fonce, where llcforiuation put ill a strido too much anil turned a somersault. Neither rider nor horso was huri. iSince arriviiiß at lUccarton tlio Jfaniapoto gcldiiip, I-'iehei , . line greatly pleased tho track-wntclicra by his efforts in hie training; taofo. Ilia HUpjiortera am fjuite hopeful that he will show a considerable I improvement on hie northern form now that ho hap the ussislance. of left-hanned going. U'hei'B is no mUtalunp tho pace of J. Thorpe's charge, but 1 bough ho often schooled well nl Ellorslic ho regularly failed with the colours up. Twelve months ago Disdainful was not produced on tho first day of tho Eiceanmi Meeting, but on the second day she came out and ecorcd a very easy win in the ■August Handicap. The chestnut mare will again be a runner in the same event nest week, and judging .by her track work at headquarters she promises to take quite a. lot oE beating. At one tune it was thought that tho Bonny Glen mare would take, a hiirh placo amongst the spnutere of the Dominion, but nha has proved hard, to train, and her owner has experienced duilo a lot of trouble with her just when she appeared to be elriking form. Th" sfollioti Applegarth, who was bred at Chokeborc, but who bus <!ono several Masons in tho south, Tina been sold by Ills' owner. Ml , . J. Simon, to a, Queensland buyer. Tho horso was shipped to Melbourne en route to Brisbane by the Westralia last month. The Ecniont Racing Club will hold i 1.6 Spring Meeting on September. 19. Tho programme this year contains two races that hitherto have not figured on the card—a flat event for hunters and a Liulv'e Bracelet Stoeplochase. Nominations for all ovenM close on August 29. A Press Association mortage from Melbourne states that at the annual meeting of the V.R.C. tlio chairman stated that .fflnlM , had been expended in patriotic funds.